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As MMi reported March 9th, Apple is going to spend upwards of $300 million on a new Austin, Texas-based campus, which will create at least 3,600 new jobs. Not surprisingly, Apple was largely welcomed with open arms in the Lone Star state, although a number of potential hurdles still existed before construction could begin.

Today we've learned that Apple has apparently jumped one of those particular hurdles as the Austin City Council formally sanctioned a performance-based grant that could be worth as much as $8.6 million to Apple as it carries out its plans to construct the new facility.

However, local news affiliate KVUE reports that between the City of Austin, Travis County, and money from a state fund, "Apple could get as much as $35 million in incentives." For a community looking to help bring more jobs to the region, it's a small price to pay say local leaders.

"We have thousands of people who are unemployed or underemployed who are looking for jobs, or better jobs than they've got right now, to make a living wage," says Austin city council member Bill Spelman. "I think we've got an obligation to make that available to them."

The average Apple employee earns $64,000 a year. If Apple makes the move to Texas, it will be second only to Dell in terms of the city's biggest private employer.